The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Historically, WHO inherited much of the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health Organization (HO), which had been an agency of the League of Nations. The WHO was established by the UN on April 7, 1948. The current Acting Director-General is Anders Nordström, following the sudden death of Lee Jong-wook.

Mission

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WHO's constitution states that its mission "is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health". Its major task is to combat disease, especially key infectious diseases, and to promote the general health of the peoples of the world. As well as coordinating international efforts to monitor outbreaks of infectious disease such as SARS, malaria, and AIDS, it also has programmes to combat such diseases, by developing and distributing vaccines. After years of fighting smallpox, WHO declared in 1979 that the disease had been eradicated - the first disease in history to be completely eliminated by deliberate human design. WHO is nearing success in developing vaccines against malaria and schistosomiasis and aims to eradicate polio within the next few years.

WHO also compiles the widely followed International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The tenth revision of the ICD was released in 1992 and a searchable version is available online on the WHO website, although it is not comprehensive. Later revisions are indexed and available in hardcopy versions. The WHO does not permit simultaneous classification in two separate areas.

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UN News Centre - UN Affairs, Secretary General

Climate change, DPR Korea focus of Ban's talks with Japanese leader
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Japan's leadership in combating climate change, as well as the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), dominated today's talks between Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso.
Ban ranks among most trusted world leaders, says new survey
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is one of the world's most confidence-inspiring political leaders, according to a new survey made public today.
Migiro travels to Libya for African Union summit
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will represent the United Nations at this week's African Union (AU) summit in Sirte, Libya, it was announced today.
Ban calls on G8 to combat climate change, boost support for development
Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Climate change and development top the list of challenges requiring action that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has laid out in a letter to leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations ahead of their upcoming summit.
Ban voices hope that new UN internal justice system will increase accountability
Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Presiding over the swearing-in of the 15 judges of the United Nations dispute and appeals tribunals today in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that the new system will boost accountability.
Secretary-General to visit Japan later this month
Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is planning to travel later this month to Japan, where he will meet with senior Government officials, business leaders and students, it was announced today.

UN News Centre - Top Stories

Japanese official chosen to head UN atomic watchdog
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
A Japanese diplomat with a lengthy record of working on disarmament and non-proliferation issues will be the next chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog after winning a secret ballot today against two other candidates.
UNAIDS hails Indian court decision decriminalizing homosexuality
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has hailed today’s decision by an Indian court to overturn a 150-year-old law and decriminalize homosexuality, voicing hope that more countries that ban same-sex activity will follow suit.
UN tribunal finds former Rwandan investigator guilty of leaking information
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
A former Rwandan investigator for the United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the mass killings that engulfed the small African nation in 1994 was found guilty today by the same court of leaking protected information.
Niger’s continuing crisis imperils democracy, Secretary-General warns
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced deep concern about Niger’s continuing political and constitutional crisis, warning that it threatens to destabilize the country and undermine recent progress towards democratic governance and the rule of law.
Cypriot leaders discuss territory issue during latest round of UN-backed talks
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders discussed the issue of the territory that each of the two constituent States would occupy in a future federation during their latest round of United Nations-backed talks today.
New UN report spotlights challenges to rural development in Western Balkans
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
Economic development in the rural areas of several nations in the Western Balkans is being hindered by challenges related to agriculture, climate change and migration, according to a new report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank.

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